traceAddress from debug_traceBlockByNumber is not correct

[ella-quicknode]

System information

Erigon version: erigon/2.59.0/linux-amd64/go1.21.8"
OS & Version: Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.5.0-1019-oracle x86_64)
Consensus Layer: Lighthouse
Chain/Network: ETH Mainnet

Expected behaviour

Using debug_traceBlockByNumber the traceAddress should be consistent to what you see on trace_block method.
traceAddress from trace_block method is consistent to Geth trace output.

Example block 16494085 (0xfbae05) filter with address 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6

Geth trace on etherscan here.

Actual behaviour

Attaching 2 screen prints on the traceAddress discrepancy for better demostration.

Steps to reproduce the behaviour

Use this command on the node:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8545 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"method":"debug_traceBlockByNumber","params":["0xfbae05", {"tracer": "callTracer"}],"id":1,"jsonrpc":"2.0"}' > response.json

I used a script to index the array for trace address.

[taratorio]

@ella-quicknode the reason for this is because trace_block uses the Parity trace format which does not include CALL/STATICCALLs to precompiles.

On the other hand, debug_traceBlockByNumber uses the native callTracer which includes precompiles (so to be fair debug_traceBlockByNumber is the most accurate).

I also checked geth and it follows the same logic, so this does not feel like an issue to me.

Closing this issue but feel free to re-open if you disagree and/or have a more concrete request.

More detailed explanation

The reason you are getting [0, 2] in your script instead of [0, 0] is because of these missing calls to precompiles in trace_block parity format (as explained above) that happen before the remaining calls (compare the logs in the below 2 sections):

Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001: Trace Address = [0 0]
Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001: Trace Address = [0 1]

0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001 here is a precompiled smart contract implementation of ecrecover.

Calls with debug_traceBlockByNumber:

Call from 0x519e19Eac9EAd404343c68224dD2A22C5c25F992 to 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be: Trace Address = []
Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0xd9Db270c1B5E3Bd161E8c8503c55cEABeE709552: Trace Address = [0]
Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001: Trace Address = [0 0]
Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001: Trace Address = [0 1]
Call from 0xef54b1EC1BB9c0F653dB07A6f6409bB3901AC8be to 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6: Trace Address = [0 2]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x82ecD135Dce65Fbc6DbdD0e4237E0AF93FFD5038: Trace Address = [0 2 0]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39: Trace Address = [0 2 0 0]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39: Trace Address = [0 2 0 1]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39: Trace Address = [0 2 0 2]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x2F0b23f53734252Bda2277357e97e1517d6B042A: Trace Address = [0 2 0 3]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0xC02aaA39b223FE8D0A0e5C4F27eAD9083C756Cc2: Trace Address = [0 2 0 4]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x2F0b23f53734252Bda2277357e97e1517d6B042A: Trace Address = [0 2 0 5]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0xC02aaA39b223FE8D0A0e5C4F27eAD9083C756Cc2: Trace Address = [0 2 0 6]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x2F0b23f53734252Bda2277357e97e1517d6B042A: Trace Address = [0 2 0 7]
Call from 0x2F0b23f53734252Bda2277357e97e1517d6B042A to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 7 0]
Call from 0x2F0b23f53734252Bda2277357e97e1517d6B042A to 0xC02aaA39b223FE8D0A0e5C4F27eAD9083C756Cc2: Trace Address = [0 2 0 7 1]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x19c0976f590D67707E62397C87829d896Dc0f1F1: Trace Address = [0 2 0 8]
Call from 0x19c0976f590D67707E62397C87829d896Dc0f1F1 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 8 0]
Call from 0x19c0976f590D67707E62397C87829d896Dc0f1F1 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 8 1]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 9]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39: Trace Address = [0 2 0 10]
Call from 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 10 0]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39: Trace Address = [0 2 0 11]
Call from 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928B7ee64DE9435E39 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 11 0]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 12]
Call from 0xBAae833f06daC8ef2ab8DEa7B707DBcfa048a5F6 to 0x9759A6Ac90977b93B58547b4A71c78317f391A28: Trace Address = [0 2 0 13]
Call from 0x9759A6Ac90977b93B58547b4A71c78317f391A28 to 0x35D1b3F3D7966A1DFe207aa4514C12a259A0492B: Trace Address = [0 2 0 13 0]
Call from 0x9759A6Ac90977b93B58547b4A71c78317f391A28 to 0x6B175474E89094C44Da98b954EedeAC495271d0F: Trace Address = [0 2 0 13 1]

Calls with trace_block:

Call from 0x519e19eac9ead404343c68224dd2a22c5c25f992 to 0xef54b1ec1bb9c0f653db07a6f6409bb3901ac8be: Trace Address = []
Call from 0xef54b1ec1bb9c0f653db07a6f6409bb3901ac8be to 0xd9db270c1b5e3bd161e8c8503c55ceabee709552: Trace Address = [0]
Call from 0xef54b1ec1bb9c0f653db07a6f6409bb3901ac8be to 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6: Trace Address = [0 0]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x82ecd135dce65fbc6dbdd0e4237e0af93ffd5038: Trace Address = [0 0 0]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39: Trace Address = [0 0 0 0]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39: Trace Address = [0 0 0 1]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39: Trace Address = [0 0 0 2]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x2f0b23f53734252bda2277357e97e1517d6b042a: Trace Address = [0 0 0 3]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0xc02aaa39b223fe8d0a0e5c4f27ead9083c756cc2: Trace Address = [0 0 0 4]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x2f0b23f53734252bda2277357e97e1517d6b042a: Trace Address = [0 0 0 5]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0xc02aaa39b223fe8d0a0e5c4f27ead9083c756cc2: Trace Address = [0 0 0 6]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x2f0b23f53734252bda2277357e97e1517d6b042a: Trace Address = [0 0 0 7]
Call from 0x2f0b23f53734252bda2277357e97e1517d6b042a to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 7 0]
Call from 0x2f0b23f53734252bda2277357e97e1517d6b042a to 0xc02aaa39b223fe8d0a0e5c4f27ead9083c756cc2: Trace Address = [0 0 0 7 1]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x19c0976f590d67707e62397c87829d896dc0f1f1: Trace Address = [0 0 0 8]
Call from 0x19c0976f590d67707e62397c87829d896dc0f1f1 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 8 0]
Call from 0x19c0976f590d67707e62397c87829d896dc0f1f1 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 8 1]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 9]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39: Trace Address = [0 0 0 10]
Call from 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 10 0]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39: Trace Address = [0 0 0 11]
Call from 0x5ef30b9986345249bc32d8928b7ee64de9435e39 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 11 0]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 12]
Call from 0xbaae833f06dac8ef2ab8dea7b707dbcfa048a5f6 to 0x9759a6ac90977b93b58547b4a71c78317f391a28: Trace Address = [0 0 0 13]
Call from 0x9759a6ac90977b93b58547b4a71c78317f391a28 to 0x35d1b3f3d7966a1dfe207aa4514c12a259a0492b: Trace Address = [0 0 0 13 0]
Call from 0x9759a6ac90977b93b58547b4a71c78317f391a28 to 0x6b175474e89094c44da98b954eedeac495271d0f: Trace Address = [0 0 0 13 1]

[taratorio]

@ella-quicknode re-opening this after giving it some more thought. This is not a bug but right now users don't have a way to match the 2 APIs. So what I plan to do to improve this is to add optional rpc request parameters:

1. "includePrecompiles: <true/false; default: false - as it is now>" to trace_block (geth has this option too)
2. "includePrecompiles: <true/false; default: true - as it is now>" to debug_traceBlockByNumber with callTracer

These 2 flags will allow users to pick whichever format they want to stick to and allow them to align the results from the 2 APIs. I'll work on this now and keep you posted.